Conveying apparatus



Feb. 23 1926. 1,574,430 l J. T. LEMON coNvEYmG APMRATUS Filed June 25, 1924 2 sheets-:ineen 1 Feb'. 23 1926. 1,574,430

J. T. LEMON CONVEYING APPARATUS Filed Junev 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 UQUK l@New um) A en line 3.-3 ofFigure 2 Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

'PATEN-T`OFF1'OE. i

JOHN T. LEMON, or COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Application filed June 25, 1924. serial No. 722,365.

To all whom t-m-ctg/ concern.:

Be it'known that I', JOHN T. LEMON, a citizenof the United States, residing vat Columbus, in the count-y of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveying Ap paratus, of which the following is a speclfication.

This invention relates to conveying apparatus,and more particularly to and apparatus for delivering bottles, or the like, through a washing tank."

This application is a `continuation in part of my copending application filed June 15th, 1923, Serial No. 645,605.

In the present invention, I provide a conveyor adapted to receive bottles in a vertical position, lowerithem to a horizontal position, and pass them through a washinof tank, restore them to a vertical posit-ion an' thendeliver them to a loading table.v

An objectJ of the invention-is to`provide means for transferring bottles from one con; veyor to anothe A'further object is the provision of means for lowering the bottles from a vertical to a horizontal position.

A further object-is the provision of means for raising the bottles from a horizontal position to a vertical position afterthey have passed through thenwashing tank.

A further object|` of the invention is the provision of means for unloading the bottles from the conveyor,

In the vaccompanying drawings, I have f shown one embodiment of the invention.

In this' showing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the conveying apparatus, the washing tankgbeing shown in section,

Figure 2 is a plan view, Figure 3 is a verticalsectional view on Figure 4 is a detail planview on an enlarged scale showing-the means V:for transferring bottles from one conveyor to another and lowering them from avertical position to a horizontal position, t

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the unloading apparatus,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view on line 6-6 of Figure 2, and, Figure 7 is a `detail view of a pair of conveyor members.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a main drive shaft which is provided with a pulley 2 adapted to receive a belt 3 connected to a pulley on a motor shaft 4. The motor 4 is shown for convenience 'of illustration and it is tobe understood that any type of prime mover may be substituted therefor. The shaft 1 is provided with a sprocket wheel '5, adapted to receive a main conveyor 6. The other end of the conveyor asses over a sprocket (not shown) on an icl) er shaft 7, which may be mounted in suitable bearings 8. Theconveyor is formed of a plurality of flights shown in detail in Figure 7 of the drawings.

As shown, each flight-consists of'a base 9 having plates 10 arranged on each end, and these plates 'are provided with sleeves l1 adapted to receive pins by means of which the conveyor flights are connected to each other. The sleeves also serve as driving connections between the conveyor and the sprocket wheel 5. A vertical member 12 is secured to each of the base sections ofthe conveyor, forming a plurality or compartments, each of which is adapted to receive a bottle. A Washing tank 13 is arranged in the path of the conveyor and as shown, the conveyor /chain i throughthe tank on its operativefflight. On the return Hight ofthe conveyor, it passes beneath the Washing tank as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. A guide roll 14 may be arranged at each end of the tank to facilitate the movement of the conveyor into and out of the tank.

The bottles are delivered to the 'main conveyor by an auxiliary conveyor 15. This auxiliary` conveyor is driven from a shaft 16 whiph is mounted in suitable bearings 17 and is provided with a sprocket (not shown) adapted to meshwith the links of the conveyor chain. ,The auxiliaryl conveyor is formed of hinged connected plates, similar to the -main conveyorbut is not provided.'

with 'the vertical partition members 12. The shafts 1 and 16 are provided with sprocket wheels adapted to receivea chain 18 to drive the latter shaft. t Means arek provided for transferring the bottles from the auxiliary conveyor to the main conveyor. As shown, in- Figure 4 of the drawings, the bottles on the auxiliary conveyor are arranged in a vertical position.

,sov

adapted to pass- The auxiliary conveyor .is provided with side walls 19 to prevent displacement of the bottles. The end ofl the side wall on. the rside adjacent the main conveyor is inclined, as at 20, and extends over the main con- 'veyor above the vertical partitioning members 12. The othervsid'e wall is provided with a section 21, connected to the main section 19 by means of a hinge 22 and extendsupport the side wall. Beyond this point,

the main conveyor is provided with means for lowering the bottles to a'horizontal posi- .tion before they pass through the washing tank. As shown, an arm 28 extends across the main conveyor, inclining downwardly and is adapted to engage'the bottle adjacent its neck, as shownin `Figure 4 of the drawings, and gradually lower it to a horizontal position. This arm is supported by a transverse arm 29, mounted on a post or support 30.

Within the tank the conveyor is provided with side walls 31 which are spaced from each other a distance equal to the height of the bottle..4 As the bottle is lowered to a horizontal position by the arm 28, the neck or mouth of the bottle engages the opposite vside wall to prevent it from falling olf the conveyor.' As shown in Figure 6 of -thev drawings, plates 32 and 33 are arranged on these side walls"to support the ortion of the bottle rojecting on each side of the conveyor. he plate 33, which is radapted to engage the neck of the bottle, is arranged at a higher elevation than the conveyor and the plate 32 is arranged substantially level with the conveyor.i As shown (see Figure the plate 33 may be provided .with inc ined portions 34 and vertical portions 35 which tend to givethe bottle a rocking motion and assist in the washing.

After the bottles have passed throughv the washing tank they are adapted to be raised 'toa vertical position by means .of a curved inclined plate 36. 'As shown,vthe last inclined portion 37 of the plate 33 rises'to a greater eleyation than the remaining inclined EOItions 34" to initially lift the neck of the ottle and assist it in en aging the guide. Theplate 31.011 the, op -oslte -side of 'the conveyor extends beyond the end of the tankl and opposite ithe guide 36 it is curved inwardly as at 38 to a. oint adjacent the side ofthe conveyor. T 's forcesfthe bot- Aitl over to a horizontal position.

tom of the bottle onto the conveyor as the neck is raised by thevguide. Atter the bottles are delivered from the washing tank, they are adapted to pass through a chute 39 'to a loading table 40. Suitable means are provided for unloadinggthe bottles from the mainconveyor. The unloading mechanism consists ofa plate or disk 41 having ya plurality of downwardly extending teeth or Lfingers 42. These teeth are adapted to mesh with the conveyor chain, as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, -to drive the unloader. As the teeth revolve, they enter the compartments in the conveyor chain and force the bottles laterally from the conveyor into the chute 39. The unloading device is yieldingly supported to permit it to give l if a bottle should become caught in the apparat-us. As shown, it is mounted on a plate 43, which is pivotally supported as at 44.

The opposite end of the plate is connected to a rod 45 by an arm 46 and this rod is in turn connected to a coil spring 47. A rod 46 xis connected to the other end of the coil spring and the end of this rod is connected to a suitable stationary support 49.

In operation, the bottles are placed on the auxiliary conveyor 15 in a vertical position.

The side walls 19 prevent the ybottles from becoming displaced. As the bottles apiiroach the point where Athey are to be .de- 1 vered to the main conveyor, they engage,

the yieldinfg side wall section 21 of the guide 19 and are forcedmlaterally Uy it onto the main conveyor. Thisside wallf is yieldingly supported and will gages one of the partition meinbers 12 when passing onto the mainv conveyor.' The linclined guide member 20 prevents the bottles from passing over the outer edge of the give vilithe bottle enmain conveyor when being delivered thereto.

On the main conveyor, the bottles are arranged in the compartments formed by the vertical members 12. The arm 28 then engages the bottle adjacent the top and tips By extending this arin across the conveyor at an angle, and inclining .it downwardly, 'it automatically lowers the bottle to a horizontal position before passing through the washing tank. The guideg36 then engages the bottle and as this guide extends in a reverse direction inclining upwardly and being arranged at an .angle extending toward the Avconveyor, it again lifts the bottle to a vertical position. The teeth 42 of the unloading member enter the compartmentsein the conveyor chain and force the bottles laterally into\ the chute, 39 which delivers them to the loading platform or table 40.

'It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to` be taken as a same, and that various changes in the, shape, size, and arrangement of parts may lbe repreferred example of the Y sorted to Without departing from the spirit of the inventionor the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thusl described my invention, I claim:

l. conveyor comprising an endless chain, 'vertical partitions mounted on said chain to'divide it into compartments, a chute arranged adjacent said conveyor, a disk arranged above said conveyorvadjacent said chute, said disk being provided with spaced teeth adapted to mesh .With the partitions of said conveyor chain to revolve said disk 'and force articlesin said compartments onto said chute, and a loading platform arranged at the end of said chute.

2. The combination with a pair of conveyors arranged adjacent to and parallel to each other, of means for transferring .articles from one of said conveyors to the other, said means comprising a pair of side Walls arranged adjacent said first conveyor, the end of the side Wall on the inside extending across said second conveyor, and a yieldingly mounted Wall extending from the other side Wall across said first conveyor 1 to the adjacent side of said second conveyor 3. The combination With a pair of conveyors arranged adjacent to and parallel to each other, of means for transferring ar ticles from one of said conveyors to the.

other, said means comprising a pair of side Walls arranged on each side of said first conveyor, an inclined Wall connected to the y end of the'inner Wall and extending across said second conveyor, a hinged section secured 'to the end of the other Wall and .ex-

` parallel to said inclined Wall. f

4. A conveyor comprising an endless chain, vertical partitions mounted on said chain to .divide it into compartments, a disk arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of movement of'said conveyor, said disk being provided with spaced depending teeth adapted to mesh with the partitions of said conveyor chain to revolve said disk and force articles out of said compartments.

5. A conveyor comprising an endless chain, vertical partitions mounted on said chain to divide it into compartments, a disk arranged in a. plane substantially parallel to the plane of movementu of said conveyor, said. disk being provided With spaced depending teeth adapted to mesh with said conveyor' chain to revolve said disk, the said teeth arranged to move transversely through the compartments to force articles from the conveyor.

6. A conveyor comprising an endless chain and divided into compartments, a rotatably mounted disk provided With depending spaced teeth arranged to engage said conveyor and move transversely through the compartments to force articles from the conveyor. l

In testimon whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN 'i. LEMON, 

